Definite Decision On Goal Line Technology Due July 2, 2012

BBC sport have recently reported that FIFA are promising a “definite decision” on Goal-line technology at a special IFAB meeting on July 2nd, the day after the Euro 2012 final.

However goal-line technology alone is not enough. At a time when even old-fashioned cricket is joining tennis, rugby union and even minority sports such as Rugby League in adopting video technology the game of football’s governing body need to go much, much further.

Now nobody is calling for game to be ruined by endless breaks in play for refereeing decisions, as is the case in the NFL, but Managers, players and referees are almost unanimous in their support for video technology. The reasoning being that it is now simply too important and there is too much on the line, when one decision from the man with the whistle can cost millions of pounds, for the wrong decision to be made.

Mario Balotelli‘s stamp on Scott Parker: After stamping on Scott Parker, which ultimately was judged to have been deliberate by the FA, Balotelli did not receive any instant punishment but rather went on to score the winning penalty deep into injury time, and possibly bring and end to Tottenham’s title challenge.

Joey Barton red card for a “Headbutt” against Norwich: Given the amount of time that play was allowed to continue for before the red card was shown to Barton it seems unlikely that the assistant referee did anything more than simply guess. The sending off of Barton, mid-way through the first-half, created a dramatic change in the pattern of play and eventually resulted in a defeat for QPR from a winning position.

The 3 points lost this day may have not happened had Joey Barton remained on the field and a win may have even saw Neil still in the hot seat of a football club rather than a tractor.

Frank Lampard‘s disallowed World Cup goal: Okay this may not be the most recent example but I’m sure the failure of Jorge Larrionda and his officials to correctly identify Frank Lampard’s strike, in the 2010 World Cup, as having crossed the line is still vivid in the nightmares of any England fan.

While Germany supporters may point to 1966 and the debatable Geoff Hurst goal, the fact of the matter is that video technology wasn’t available then but…it is now.

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